"BTW, how do you all handle ice? It scares me to death to let the dogs out to potty when everything is slick and they slip and slide. (I let them out individually and end up standing there watching). I think I'll have a protected area of turf under the deck in the new house, but I'm open to suggestions on how others handle things when it gets bad. Kathy" Try Safe Paw Ice Melter. It is specially formulated for dogs. It doesn't burn the pads of their feet the way Rock Salt and Calcium Chloride sometimes do. The downside is that it takes a lot longer to really work, and you have to use more of it to get the same results you get with Rock Salt. Steve ===== Visit Two Feathers German Shepherds online at http://www.wmj1944.com ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2004. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org ============================================================================